Where Does Halal Food Come From? Brazil Is World’s Top Meat Exporter for Muslims

World International Affairs Up to 2 million Muslims were set to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage Sunday to the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest importer of halal meat. When they arrive, there’s a good chance they’ll be eating food from South America. Brazil is the world’s top exporter of meat, including the halal or “permissible” meat deemed suitable for consumption by nearly 2 billion Muslims across the globe. Islam has specific guidelines on what kind of food its adherents should consume, and Salaam Gateway, a Dubai-based website devoted to Islamic culture and lifestyle, estimated the halal-certified food and beverage industry to be worth $415 billion in 2015. Far from the Middle East and any majority-Muslim country, Brazil tops the list of nations exporting food to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 57 Muslim-majority countries, with a value of $15.9 billion. A major scandal, however, may have disrupted trade between the Latin American nation and the top halal market abroad. Citing figures from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association the website found a 20.97 percent plunge in Saudi imports of Brazilian halal poultry meat in 2017, a year in which Brazil’s lucrative meat industry was wracked by a major safety scare. Recommended Slideshows 76 The Most Powerful Military Forces in the World 59 The 25 Most Powerful Passports in the World 61 Every World Press Photo Winner Ever: 60 Images That Define Our World Exhibitors display lamb meat during the Halal Expo dedicated to the growing halal food industry on September… [Read full story]